Elemental Strings was created in 2004 as a small youth orchestra for elementary school-aged students in the Santa Monica community. Its purpose was to inspire students and support the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s strong elementary school music program. Music director Peter Park (former orchestra director of Lincoln Middle School) and a small team of teachers worked with students every Friday after school. Very quickly, a family of sorts came together. Students and parents from different schools became friends, and a musical community at the elementary school level was born. Elemental Strings was generously funded by the Maestro Foundation for the first five years of its existence.
In 2010, Elemental Strings received its 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status from the IRS. Elemental Strings is led by Executive and Artistic Director Dr. Josephine Liu Moerschel, and Program Director Kirsten Bersch. Rehearsals take place at John Adams Middle School on Friday afternoons.
Over 275 students have participated in Elemental Strings during the past seven seasons. Due to an increasing interest in the community, Elemental Strings created a second orchestra in the 2010-2011 season, and now has two teams of teachers who work with the students of Sinfonia and Chamber Orchestra. Many of our alumni continue to perform on their instruments at school and also participate in outside programs such as the Colburn School of Performing Arts, Junior Chamber Music, String Project LA, and the LA Youth Orchestra.
Recent highlights include the world premieres of Chasta Banana and Jah Mon! by violin coach Robert Anderson, and performances by students at ViolaFest Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Festival and the Santa Monica Symphony.
Elemental Strings also offers additional opportunities for past and current students. Through our Mentor Program, alumni in high school are paired up with current students to provide free weekly lessons for those who are interested. Elemental Strings maintains several partnerships with area organizations and businesses in order to give students additional music opportunities, including concert visits and other music-related field trips.
When Elemental Strings was first founded, it was uncertain how successful the program would be. There are very few youth orchestras for students of elementary school-age, but such a program seemed to be a perfect fit for Santa Monica, a community clearly devoted to the arts. Parents, teachers, and students agree that capturing the hearts and minds of elementary school students leads to long-term involvement and love of music. Elemental Strings has been successful beyond anyone’s expectations and continues to grow in quality and scope. We are grateful to our community of talented students, supportive families, and dedicated coaches for making this program what it is today.